Integrated circuits are manufactured by a highly complex and costly manufacturing process. The production is formed at wafer level and is composed of numerous stages. A wafer includes multiple dice that are arranged in an ordered array of dice wherein the dice are parallel to each other. Rectangular-shaped dice are arranged in columns and rows and are separated by scribe lines.
During the final manufacturing stages of the wafer the wafer is diced (or sawn) in order to separate between the different dice. The wafer is usually placed on a tape that in turn is supported by a frame.
Different manufacturing processes provide wafers of different sizes. Today, the largest wafer has a diameter of 300 mm. Smaller wafers include, for example, 200 mm diameter wafers. Different diced wafers can be supported by frames of different sizes and shapes. The different shapes (especially differently shaped frame recesses) correspond to different frame standards.
Wafer inspection systems usually include a chuck adapted to support a wafer. The following patents and patent applications, all being incorporated herein by reference, illustrate prior art chucks and wafer holders:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,204 of Tanaka et al.; Japanese patent serial number JP01273045 of Marumo et al.; Japanese patent serial number JP10032604 of Ishida; U.S. Pat. No. 6,992,500 of Sugiyama et al.; U.S. patent application publication serial number 2001/003772 of Sugiyama et al.; Japanese patent publication serial number JP200100920A2 of Tomita et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,917,420 of Traber; U.S. Pat. No. 6,914,423 of Nordgem et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,774,621 of Takekoshi; U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,245 of Yoshioka et al.; U.S. patent application publication serial number 2004/0179323 of Litman et al.; and U.S. patent application publication serial number 2005/0005702A1 of Osuga.
Modern wafer inspection systems are expected to be very fast, thus there is a need to speed up the wafer inspection process. In addition they are expected to be accurate, reliable and characterized by high repeatability.
There is a need to provide a fast wafer inspection system and especially a wafer inspection system adapted to inspect objects of different type and size.